Rail-joint.



No. 661,759. Patented Nov. I3, I900.

E FRANTZ & A. J.-LANG, 1R.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Duties,

EDWARD FRANTZ AND ALFRED J. LANG, JR, OF ALLENPORT,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,759, dated November13, 1900.

' Application filed August 21, 1900. Serial No. 27,598. (No model- Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD FRANTZ and ALFRED J. LANG, J r., citizens ofthe United States of America,residing at Allenport,in the county ofWashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements'inrail-joints, and has for its object to provide novel and effectual meanswhereby two rails may be joined together with or without the aid of theordinary fish-plates, though preferably we employ our improved jointwithout the aid of the fishplates.

Briefly described, the invention consists in forming the ends of therails in such a manner that the same will match together, the tread ofeach rail having a tongue or offset and a groove, the tongue or offsetof one rail matching in the groove of the engaging rail. The base ofeach rail is also constructed so that the rails may be matched together,as is done in the tread of the rails.

In describing the invention indetail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and whereinlike numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, in which- I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a-portionof a pair of rails joined together in accordance with our invention,said view showing the fish-plates in dotted lines, which fishplates mayor may not be employed in the j oining of the rails. Fig. 2 is an endview of the rail. Fig. 3 is a like view of the opposite end of the railand of the matching end of the engaging rail. Figs. 4: and 5 are detailperspective views of a part of the matching ends of the rails.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates one of therails, and 2 indicates the engaging rail, shown in Fig. 1 as joinedtogether in accordance with our invention, and 3 denotes a fish-plate,which .is shown in this view in dottedlines. However, in generalpractice this fish-plate may be advantageously dispensed with.

The rail 1 is provided in its tread 4, at the end thereof, with alongitudinal cut 5, terminating in a transversely-extending cut 6. Thesetwo cuts 5 and 6 form an angular recess which extends transversely ofthe tread, the cut 5 being of a depth equal to the thickness of thetread and of a width about equal to the half thereof, so that a shoulder7 is formed at the top of the web. The cut 6 extends a slightly-greaterdistance into the tread than the width of the cut 5, forming a recess inthe tread, which is adapted to receive an offset 8, formed on the tread9 of the engaging rail 2. This offset 8 is formed by recessing the tread9 of the said rail 2, as at 10, the engaging end of this rail 2 beingcut away at the end of the web, so as to form an extending end ortonguell, integral with the tread 9.

The base 12 of this rail 2 is cut away on one side at the end, the upperportion of the cut extending into the web, so as to form a recess 14 anda shoulder or offset 15. The rail 1 is likewise cut away on its base toform a recess 16 and shoulder 17, the latter when the ends are'matchedtogether being adapted to fit into the recess 14 of the rail 2, and theshoulder or projection 15 being adapted to fit into the recess 16 of therail 1.

In order to place the two ends of the rails into interlocking engagementwith each other, one or both of the rails are turned slightly to theside and the tongue or projection 11 inserted into the cut-away portion5, the portion 12 of the base of the rail 2 at the same time enteringthe cut-away portion of the base of the rail 1. The rails are thenturned to the upright position, which will cause the projection or block8 to engage in the recess formed by the cut 6, the shoulder or ofiset 15to engage in the recess 16, and the shoulder or offset 17 to engage inthe recess 14. The underneath face of the projection or tongue 11 isformed with a seat 18, which will rest neatly upon the shoulder 7 of therail 1, at which time the rail ends will be locked together, requiring apartial turn of the rails in order to disengage the lock.

It will be readily observed that the lateral movement of the rail endswill be prevented when this interlocking of the rail ends isaccomplished,and the fish-plates may be readily dispensed with, thoughthis construction of the opposite side of the rail and the other of 15the rail ends may be employed with the fishwhich rail endshasaprojecting tongue adaptplates if so desired. ed to fit in theangular recess and is cut away It will be noted that various changes mayon one side of its base at the end of the rail 5 be made in the detailsof construction without whereby the tread and base of the rails maydeparting from the general spirit of our inbe interlocked, substantiallyas described, 20

vention. In testimony whereof we aflix our sigma Having thusfullydescribed ourinvention, tures in the presence of two witnesses.what we claim as new, and desire to secure by EDWARD FRANTZ' 10 LettersPatent, is i In a rail-joint, the combination of the en- ALFRED LANGgaging rail ends, one of which is provided in Witnesses: the side of itstread at the end of the rail with E. M. WALTERS, an angular recess andis cut away in its base at JANE SISLEY.

